From Aho to Z
by GothicAngel09
Summary: A series of stories, one for every letter of the alphabet./J:June: "The summer heat does strange things to people..."
1. A:Apology

**A/N: **Well, hello there! This fic was inspired by other wonderful fics of the same nature that have been written on this site. They will all be of the Heiji/Kazuha pairing and as of now will go in order. (Though that could change, I'm nice and random like that…lol) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Detective Conan, or its characters. (Cue sad, depressed meltdown….) Moving on….

**Letter: **_**A**_

**Theme: **_**Apology **_

"_**How hard is it to apologize?" **_

It could be said that Hattori Heiji was good at many things. He was a straight A student, captain of the school's kendo team, and a pretty good detective. At least as good as Kudo, maybe better. Or so Heiji thought anyway.

But there was one thing that Heiji was _not _so skilled at, and unfortunately had to do at this very moment. And that was apologize. Even worse, he had to apologize to the _aho. _Otherwise known as his childhood friend, Toyama Kazuha. They'd always teased and bickered with one another, it was just a part of who they were. Their form of communication, if you will. But today they had really fought, and looking back on it, Heiji wasn't even sure what they'd fought about. Probably something trivial, as always.

It had started out in the normal fashion. Heiji had been complaining about how slow Kazuha had been walking to school; she had snapped back. The usual. Until one of their classmates had made the comment that they fought like an old married couple. Which, in itself, was nothing new. Their classmates teased Heiji and Kazuha all the time about that. Nothing unusual. Then Heiji had flippantly made a comment saying, "Why would anyone want to be married to an aho like her for? All she does is bother me!"

He hadn't meant it, not really. Kazuha was pretty nice to have around , most of the time. It was just fun to tease her, rile her up. So that is why Heiji was surprised, no make that _shocked,_ when Kazuha _exploded. _He'd never seen her look so angry. And why were her cheeks red? She was actually shaking, her chair making a scraping sound on the floor as he stood from her desk abruptly. And was that a glimmer of tears Heiji saw in her eyes?

"Is that so, Hattori Heiji? Well if I'm such a bother to you, then from now on I will just leave you alone!"

After that outburst, she had turned and fled the classroom, almost bumping into the teacher who was coming into the room. "Gomen, sensei…" Kazuha almost whispered "I'm not feeling well. I need to go the restroom." "Alright..." the teacher said.

Kazuha hadn't come back to class that period, and when Heiji had seen Kazuha again, she avoided him. Avoided him for the rest of the day, in fact. Which put Heiji in his current predicament.

Apologizing to the aho.

He was on his way to her house, she had jumped up as soon as class was over, not even waiting for him so they could walk home together, as they always did. That meant she was really angry. They had fought plenty of times, but they had always walked home together. Hell, they'd usually gotten over whatever it was they were fighting over long before then. Heiji could have easily jumped up himself and followed her, but for some reason, he hadn't. He was still confused as to why she had gotten so angry in the first place. They both had been teased about being a couple many times before, almost daily actually. And Heiji was certain he had used that same comeback he had used this morning before. She usually just laughed it off, before coming back with a comment of her own of course. Or hit him. Really, that girl could be so violent sometimes! So why did she get so angry?

Another thing was bothering Heiji. And that was why he was so worried about the whole thing in the first place. Why he felt a pull in his chest when he thought of the fury and hurt on her face, the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Why he was risking humiliation to go apologize to her. He would never live it down. She would be bringing this up for a long time. But something still compelled him to go. What was it? He was coming up on Kazuha's house now. A house he knew as well as his own. He hoped she was there, though he had no doubt he could find her if she wasn't. He just knew her that well. Would she actually let him into the house was that question. He couldn't count on her father for help as he was sure that Kazuha's father would most certainly still be at work. Not that he would want to involve him in something as embarrassing as this.

Heiji took a deep breath as he approached the door and rang the doorbell. Usually he wouldn't bother with such a thing, but today he almost felt like a stranger approaching the house. Like something had changed, shifted dramatically since he'd come here this morning so he and Kazuha could walk to school together.

"Coming!" Heiji winced. He didn't have to be a good detective to tell that her voice was hoarse from crying . Great. Heiji hated it when Kazuha cried. He wasn't sure why. It was like that pull on his chest that he had felt this morning when she was so upset. Oh, of course, as her best friend Heiji would never want to see Kazuha in pain; but he felt like it was something more than that. Something that he couldn't define, something that was just out of reach. Heiji was still deep in thought when Kazuha opened the door. Then rational thought went out the window.

"Heiji, what are you doing here? Aren't I a _bother _to you?" Bitterness and hurt laced her voice. But Heiji couldn't answer, he was too busy staring. It wasn't that Kazuha was wearing anything necessarily provocative. (Not that he looked at her in that way… or so he told himself.) She hadn't even changed out of her uniform. But sometime while she had been crying she must have taken her hair down from its trademark ponytail. It fell in waves, cascading down her shoulders, and Heiji was mesmerized. Not that he hadn't seen her with her hair down before, but just like he felt like a stranger coming up to her house, so did she feel like a stranger to him. But in a good way; like he wanted to know her, study her, discover everything about her. He did know her of course, they'd grown up together….but, well, Heiji couldn't describe it. It was a new and dangerous emotion he was feeling.

And as he stood there staring at her, her now rumpled uniform, eyes red from crying with dark tear stains on her cheeks, something clicked in place for Heiji. Like the last clue that fell into place before he solved a murder case. The difference was that during those times he felt a surge of triumphant adrenaline. Right now all he felt was a surge of terror. He wanted to bolt, to flee, to be anywhere else but standing in front of the women he had hurt, the women he….

Loved.

The realization hit Heiji like a ton of bricks, and left him staggering. It wasn't really so much that he realized he was in love with one Toyama Kazuha, his childhood friend; (though that in itself was a big deal, at least for Heiji) it was the fact that he realized he had loved her all along. Since who knows when, he couldn't really pinpoint a start to his feelings. It was like they were always there, in the back of his mind, waiting for his thick skull to notice them. And notice them he did, so much so he felt overwhelmed by them, drowning in them. He couldn't even speak, despite the fact that he had been standing in her doorway for a few minutes now without saying a word and Kazuha was starting to look at him like he'd gone crazy. Maybe he had.

"Heiji?" All the anger was gone from her voice now, she sounded confused.

"So…..uh…." Well, at least his mouth was moving again. "Aho, why didn't you wait for me to walk home together!" Teasing. Teasing was good. Teasing was a nice, _safe, _normal act. Well, at least, normal for them. Unfortunately for Heiji, though, Kazuha was not in her normal, teasing mood.

"Is that really what you came all the way over here to say? I told you that I wouldn't bother you anymore and that is what I am doing!" Kazuha stepped back started to slam the door when Heiji's body finally decided to cooperate.

"Wait, Kazuha….." Heiji shot forward, and grabbed onto one of Kazuha's wrist. She didn't pull way, she was too shocked.

"Kazuha, you aho, why did you get so mad earlier? You know that I was only teasing, and…." Heiji looked straight into her eyes now, "I'm sorry."

Kazuha's jaw dropped. She wasn't sure what was more surprising, the fact that Hattori Heiji had apologized, or that he had been so bold; reaching out, grabbing her wrist. He still hadn't let go. Oh, it wasn't like they had never had any physical contact before. They had hugged (though rarely), and held hands (mostly as children), but this had the feel of something totally different altogether. They were still standing in her doorway, he was standing in front of her (closer than he'd ever  been) , holding her wrist firmly but not tight enough to hurt. Staring into her eyes. They were so close they could… but Heiji would never… would he? He'd already surprised her today with his behavior thus far.

Kazuha's heart was fluttering wildly and her stomach was full of butterflies. And Heiji was still just standing there, staring. She was starting to wonder if he was going to make any sort of move at all. Maybe she should….. But she never got any further in her thoughts. Because Heiji had suddenly used the arm he was holding to pull her into his arms. The other hand he used to raise to her face, gently cupping her cheek. His eyes never left hers as he brought his head downward until his lips touched hers.

It wasn't really that long of a kiss, and slightly awkward, but still when Heiji and Kazuha pulled back moments later; they were both gasping for air. Neither moved for several seconds, afraid that they would awake to find out it had only been a dream.

"So…." Heiji started, "Does this mean you accept my apology?"

Kazuha swatted him lightly on the arm. "Aho…." She said laughing, trying to sound annoyed while inside her heart was singing. Heiji laughed too.

And then kissed her again.

**A/N: **So, what do you think? I hope you are pleased, I put a lot of work into this one and am fairly pleased with it myself. I do not have the next one fully written but it is started so I hope it will not take too long. The theme for the next letter will be "Beginnings." Until then!

Oh, and the part where Heiji was talking about Kazuha seeming like a stranger to him and wanting to know more about her? Yeah, that totally sounded better in my head. I was trying to say that because of his newly discovered feelings, he was looking at her through new eyes. Or something like that. So sorry if it sounded totally weird, it really did sound pretty awesome in my head….


	2. B:Beginnings

_A/N: _I am SO,SO, sorry for the delay on this. Life has taken a crazy turn lately, and things just got in the way. Not to mention that this chapter was being difficult and even though I have written a few later chapters my OCD just would not let me post out of order. So I suppose you can blame that for my delay. Now, on with the show!

Disclaimer: Nope… still no ownie. (I asked for it for Christmas, but didn't get it…. surprising huh?)

Letter: B

Theme: Beginnings

"Every great story has to begin somewhere…."

Toyama Kazuha and Hattori Heiji can't really remember the first day they met. Which is understandable, considering both of their fathers work together and have been friends for years. But while Kazuha and Heiji may not remember, Heiji's mother certainly does, and loves to tell the story; much to the chagrin of the two young people.

They were all of eight months old. Shizuka had invited Kazuha's mother over for a visit and suggested she bring Kazuha with her. After the initial cooing and fawning over the infants, Kazuha's mother sat Kazuha down on the floor next to Heiji. Shizuka then went into the kitchen to make the tea, while Kazuha's mother sat on the couch to watch the children. As close as both families were, she was really hoping that the children would get along and become close friends. She was at the moment intently watching for signs of this to unfold.

Unfortunately, it seemed to be slow in coming. Heiji had been quite intently playing with one of his small toys and hadn't even looked up when Kazuha had been placed down next to him. He still seemed oblivious, happily rolling a little green ball, then crawling after it. Kazuha sat quietly and curiously watching for a moment, before deciding to join in on the fun herself. Kazuha's mother watched as her daughter bridged the short gap between the two infants by crawling over to Heiji. It would seem though, unfortunately for Kazuha, that our future tantei had not yet learned to share. As soon as Kazuha went to reach for the ball that at the moment was sitting between them, Heiji grabbed the ball and forcefully (well, as forcefully as a baby can) threw it to the other side of the room. He then proceeded to crawl after it, leaving Kazuha behind. Kazuha sat stunned for about ten seconds, before….

WAAAAAHHHHHH!...

To call the sounds coming out of the baby girls' mouth a wail would be a vast understatement. Man, did she have a set of lungs on her! The noise brought Shizuka out of the kitchen, where she was just about finished preparing the tea.

"What in the world-…." She started to say, before Kazuha's mother cut her off.

"Just wait Shizuka." The other woman said. Being in the room the whole time, she could see the affect Kazuha's crying was having on young Heiji. At first, he had been startled by the mere volume of it. Once adjusted to that however, he seemed confused. The baby pulled himself up into a sitting position. He glanced between Kazuha, who had diminished somewhat in volume but was still crying, and the ball; which at this point was again on the other side of the room. He glanced back and forth a few more times before he began crawling. Heiji crawled until he got to the ball, and grabbed it up in his small hands. He then began crawling back towards to the other side of the room, where Kazuha was still sitting; now watching him curiously. Her crying had mostly subsided now as she was watching the boy. She watched as the other baby, somewhat awkwardly but as well as an eight month old could, crawl back over to her with ball in tow. When Heiji reached her, he pulled himself back up until he was in a sitting position and paused only for a moment before holding out the ball to Kazuha.

"Well, would you look at that, Shizuka! How cute!" Kazuha's mother exclaimed

"Yes…that certainly is something."

Looking back down at the children, Kazuha had taken the ball from Heiji and was just looking at it, almost studying it a moment before…

Kazuha proceeded to bonk Heiji on the head with it.

Then giggle as she crawled away. Heiji's face immediately went back to being confused. Then he started laughing as well.

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us, eh, Shizuka?" Kazuha's mother commented.

"Indeed… I have a feeling these two will most certainly keep us on our toes…"

_A/N: Well? This didn't turn out quite like I expected… and I feel like I lost something starting this then putting it aside and starting again. All in all I'm fairly satisfied with it though. And yes I know that Kazuha and Heiji probably met much earlier than eight months but obviously I needed them to be at least mobile for the story to work out. So…yeah. _

_Please leave a review love it or hate it…. see you next time! _


	3. C: Confiding

**Letter: C**

**Theme: Confiding**

"_He could tell her anything…anything but this…"_

Hattori Heiji had never like secrets. Even before he had met Kudo and figured out his big secret, (while at the same time promising to keep said secret), he just couldn't understand how someone could lie. And even though he knew that in _this_ situation lying was necessary to keep people alive, he still hated it. He also had never been any good at it. (As numerous slipups whenever he was around his be speckled friend can testify.)

However, there was one secret. One that he had kept for a _long_ time. He'd kept it as long as he could remember, with no slipups. Especially with his extremely truthful nature, this was something. Heiji would suppose the reason he could keep such a secret was because he'd been keeping it from himself as well. It was once he realized it that he began to slip up.

And what was this long standing secret, you may ask? Of course, it involved his childhood and longtime best friend, Toyama Kazuha. The two had grown up together, and though they had always treated each other much like a brother and sister would; lately the scales had tipped. Heiji was only aware of this shifting because of his newfound realization of certain…. feelings. The way he all of a sudden felt flustered when she was around. This never used to happen before.

At first he was in denial of the whole situation. He used his precious logical thinking to convince himself that what he was feeling could in no way be construed as romantic. He was just protective over her, that was all. Just like a good brother type figure would. Right? Heiji supposed all of this was on his mind more lately because Kazuha had went out on a date with a boy from their class the other night. He'd been quite shocked, to be honest. And a part of him, (larger than he'd like to admit), was wondering how he could give the guy a few good whacks with his katana without anyone knowing it was him. But he wasn't jealous- right? He was just being a friend/brother figure. Right?

Sometimes Heiji thought about what would happen if he did share this secret with Kazuha. He wasn't the type to be overly emotional, so his thoughts didn't really involve any sappy romantic displays like on the movies that Kazuha was so fond of and had made him sit through. However, even he had to admit, he could not be in denial of the situation any longer. Or in denial of his feelings. But why should he do anything about it? Things have been going just great so far with their friendship, so why should anything change? Still though, something Kazuha had told him the day after her date was still bothering him. They were walking to school that morning and Heiji had asked how things had gone. He had teased her a little and she back, but then she had gotten quiet.

"Heiji?" she asked after several moments of silence. Heiji looked over at her, stunned at the tone in her voice. She was looking down and away from him, ponytail draped over her shoulder.

"Kazuha?" He wasn't sure what to do. He had never really been good at dealing with her when she was upset. This time he wasn't even sure if she _was_ upset. Kazuha went on.

"Heiji…" They had stopped now, and had turned so they were standing face to face. "Were you bothered that I went on a date with Taichi?" Kazuha looked a little uncomfortable, while Heiji was floored.

"A…Aho! What are you talking about? What you do is no business of mine!" _Lies. Of course….this is all lies… _

Kazuha visibly relaxed. "Oh. Well that's good. You had been out of sorts since then and I thought something was wrong. Well, you were more out of sorts than your usual!" Kazuha giggled at Heiji's scowl, and then grew serious again. "We have been friends so long. I never want that to change."

Heiji had made some flippant comment about Kazuha being too serious and then said something about how he could never get rid of her, she followed him around all the time, remember? Inside though, was another story. He hadn't been able to get Kazuha's last comment out of his head. It had been running in constant loop since that day. It only reinforced what he'd been telling himself. He and Kazuha should remain friends, and he had to keep his feelings to himself.

Maybe some secrets were worth keeping.

_A/N: Whew! This one was a tough one to write. Hope you enjoyed it though. I had originally meant to put this in Kazuha's POV, and then realized that I will be doing that a lot in this series of stories, so I gave Heiji a turn. __ Another small side note, the name I gave Kazuha's date? I went to a baby name website to try to find a name for him and that was the featured name of the day! True story. __ I like it, so I used it. Until next time! _


	4. D:Dance

**Letter: D**

**Theme: Dance **

"_This night, and this dance; were theirs….."_

Well, he had finally done it.

After 24 years of growing up together, fighting and making up, falling in love and going to hell and back with the Organization and all that entailed- Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha were now married. The last few years had been especially difficult, much in part _because _of said organization. Kudo had called up one day, and off Heiji had gone. Kazuha didn't see him again for six months. When he had returned though, he had explained everything. The time for secrets was over. And even though they never did _fully _take down the Organization, both Heiji and Shinichi felt a surge of relief knowing that the most ruthless members were firmly behind bars.

Heiji had initially been worried about telling Kazuha the truth. He knew he didn't have as much to fear as Kudo had, not having as many secrets. (Heiji still winces when he recalls Kudo telling him how Ran reacted when he had told her the truth) But still, he had been nervous. And boy, Kazuha sure hadn't disappointed! She had railed, and cried; screamed and sobbed, vowing she would never speak to him again and how could he lie to her like that… and….

Heiji had to smile though at what had happened next. Because in the middle of all the ranting, Heiji had drawn Kazuha into his arms; and confessed his love to her. Taking it a bit further, he had even proposed. Which led him to today, holding his new bride close and looking straight into her eyes as they shared their first dance as husband and wife.

"Heiji…..Heiji?!"

Heiji shook himself. He did not realize that all this time he had been daydreaming, Kazuha had been calling him. Heiji blinked. Fortunately, Kazuha did not look too mad. Just slightly annoyed.

"Welcome back. I am surprised you didn't trip us with your big feet daydreaming like that!" Heiji chuckled.

"I'm sorry Kazuha. I was just thinking about everything that led us here." Heiji paused, and took a moment to look, really look, at his new bride.

"And I was also thinking how beautiful you look tonight." Her reaction was just what Heiji imagined it would be, and it made him smile. Her cheeks flushed pink and she looked away, embarrassed yet pleased. Heiji only pulled her closer as they continued to float along the dance floor.

It was as if they were in their own little world, oblivious to everyone else in the room. Oh sure, they knew that everyone was there and watching; their parents teary eyed grins; Kudo( now full sized) and Kuroba's snickering(accompanied by their significant others firmly smacking them upside the head). But none of that mattered. Because for now, this night, and this dance; were theirs.

A/N: Oh the sweetness! Hope you enjoyed this little piece of fluff. This was meant to be a short piece so I kinda rushed over big stuff, but I hope it doesn't _feel _rushed. Until next time!


	5. E:Elephants

**Letter:E **

**Theme: Elephants**

"_They could not ignore the huge elephant in the room…" _

**Warning: This is silly…very silly. Bordering on crack territory… :) **

"Um… Heiji?"

Heiji looked up from his textbook.

"Yeah… what is it Kazuha?" They were currently in Heiji's living room, doing homework, as they did most every afternoon. Kazuha on the sofa, Heiji sprawled out on the floor. Kazuha looked away, embarrassed.

"Never mind… it's nothing. So… have you figured out the last answer then?"

"Yeah sure. That one was rather easy really."

"Aho! Not all of us are geniuses you know!" she exclaimed as she threw a pillow aimed straight for his head. It hit his mark.

"Oww! Geez, Kazuha, why are you so violent!"

"I wouldn't be if you weren't such an aho!" Heiji didn't answer, just went back to his homework. Which infuriated Kazuha to no end. How dare he ignore her! Well, if he wanted to play that game then she could too! There was something, rather important, she wanted to ask him; but she supposed that could wait. With an overexaggerated "humph!" … she went back to her homework. The silence lasted about 10 minutes.

"What is it Kazuha?"

Kazuha snapped to attention, surprised.

"What do you mean, Heiji?"

"Well, you have been staring at me for the last few minutes. I assume you have something to ask me," Heiji paused, "unless you were just admiring the view." Heiji finished with a teasing grin. Another pillow to the head, this one Heiji was able to dodge. Barely.

"You are so full of yourself Hattori Heiji! That's not it at all."

"Then what is it?" Kazuha paused.

"It's… well, it's…" Kazuha took a deep breath. "I just noticed…" Heiji laughed.

"Oh,yeah. I was wondering if you would notice. It's pretty weird, huh? Mom ordered it in the mail, and it… well, came slightly different and bigger than she pictured."

"_Slightly_ different?" Kazuha thought, but didn't say. "Did she _know_ it was supposed to be an elephant?" Kazuha asked, a question that had been dying to jump off her lips.

"Umm… don't know. It is a weird thing to have as a lamp, but you have to admit, it is unique."

_**A/N: **_Uggh. This is not my best, but I hope it got at least a chuckle. Until next time! :)


	6. F:Force

**Letter:F**

**Theme: Force**

"_It doesn't take much force to break her heart…" _

*Hope the last chapter gave you at least a chuckle, because this one is angsty….

(Also, since I haven't done this in a few chapters…as always, I do not own Detective Conan.)

Hearts are like glass, Kazuha thinks. So transparent… and so easily shattered. This morning, which now seemed like an eternity ago, Kazuha had dropped her glass of juice; glass cracking then flying into a million pieces all over the floor. Right now, Kazuha knew exactly how that glass felt. Shattered. Cracked. In a million pieces. This morning, everything had been fine. This morning had been normal. This morning… she'd still had her best friend.

Now… now…

Kazuha walked over to the group of police officers, her father included, that were standing somberly over a body bag. A bag that contained her best friend, Hattori Heiji.

"Kazuha… sweetie…" Her father tried to guide her away as she got close, but she would not be deterred. She just waved away the hand he reached out and kept walking. She had arrived about 20 minutes ago and so far they had been successful in keeping her away. But she couldn't stand it any longer.

She paused when she got to where the bag laid, her heart beating wildly. It was so hard to breathe, why was she doing this to herself? What was this compulsion driving her? As Kazuha knelt down and reached as though she was going to unzip the bag, one of the other officers bent to stop her, only to be waved off by Kazuha's father. She didn't notice. As she reached for the zipper she tried, and failed, to keep her hand from shaking.

Zziiiiipp… One fluid motion.

He looked like he was sleeping. Kazuha knew that was cliché to say, but it was true. Just the other morning he'd been sleeping late, looking just like this; she'd gone into his room yelling and screaming for him to get up or they would be late. Maybe if she could just scream loud enough now…

"You aho…."

It didn't come out as a yell, not even close. Without realizing it, tears had begun flowing down Kazuha's cheeks, leaving their dark trail marks. Time seemed to stand still, she was not even aware that anyone else was still there. As this was all going on the other officers were standing around awkwardly, not sure what to do; grieving the young boy they knew as well. This wasn't right.

After a few minutes, Kazuha's father went over and knelt beside Kazuha. He reached over and zipped back up the body bag before placing his hands on both her shoulders. He guided her up and away, so the officers could finish their jobs. She immediately dove into his arms, holding on tightly. Her father held on, just as tightly, as he led her to the car.

When they got home she went straight to her room, ignoring her father's asking her if she wanted to talk and if she would be alright. How _could _she be alright? How could anything ever be alright again?

A little later there was a knock on her bedroom door; her father had to go back to the station. Kazuha had been lying on her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn't answer. A piercing sound cut through the silence and made her jump, it was her cell phone. Looking at the caller id she saw that is was Ran. She'd been trying to get up the strength to call her for an hour now.

"Moshi moshi?" Kazuha said, her throat dry. Sitting up her body felt so heavy all of a sudden, her chest hurt so much she almost couldn't breathe. Still, it was nice to talk to her friend. She let herself cry, she knew Ran wouldn't mind. She poured all of her grief out over the phone to her best friend. Ran said that they were already on the way to the station; they would be on the next train there. To hold on, and be strong. But how could she be strong when inside she felt so fragile?

After she hung up the phone, Kazuha climbed under the covers, though she knew that, even as tired as she was, sleep would not be visiting her tonight. Her mind ran over, like a never ending loop, memories of herself and Heiji. Playdates, homework sessions, movie nights. Fighting and making up in their own messed up, unique way. Each memory, each thought, breaks her heart just a little bit more. It doesn't take much force, much effort, to do so. Hearts really _are _like glass, Kazuha decides; and right now, her heart is shattered.

**A/N: **Well? Hope you enjoyed. Also, as a sort of an announcement, I am going to start posting new chapters on Sundays now. I wanted to pick a day because I think having a deadline like that will get me in gear and help me not be so lazy with this…lol. So…until Sunday! :)


	7. G:Grade

**Letter: G**

**Theme: Grade**

"_**She always wondered how she measured up in Heiji's eyes…" **_

_***Thank you, thank you all! Thank you for reviewing, favoriting, following, reading and lurking… whatever. Lol Thank you all for the support, you are the **__**best**__**! Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's not really angsty or happy. It's kinda neutral, at least in my opinion. Enjoy! **_

Toyama Kazuha knew that Hattori Heiji loved detective work. For him, it wasn't just a hobby, it was a passion. Now that they were out of high school, it had also become his livelihood. She still wouldn't admit it to him, but she still loved watching Heiji solve a case. The gleam in his eye while going over evidence, and that look… that smile on his face when he finally figures everything out.

The moments Kazuha gets to watch him at work are fewer now, university and her part time job take up so much time. But she still enjoys it when she can. One thought though, that takes up a lot of Kazuha's thoughts these days, is her friendship with Heiji. It was something she had always just taken for granted; it was something that had always just been there. But now with high school behind them and the two of them not spending _quite _as much time together, she had begun to really pay attention to the glaring differences between them.

There were the obvious ones. Kazuha, while certainly intelligent in her own right, was no match for Heiji's smarts. (The most frustrating part of that for her is he never even has to try!) Then there is his detective work, which, while she loves seeing that look in his eye when he solves a case; she doesn't really care much about the cases themselves. ("Not much really" meaning not at all, except some sympathy for the deceased.) She just has no interest in the intricate workings of a detective that Heiji lives for.

He makes fun of her belief in the supernatural. His logical brain scoffs at such things. Kazuha, on the other hand, places great importance on her omamoris she makes. She also believes in ghosts. Kazuha knows that there are things in this world that just can't be explained. Heiji laughs at that notion, citing his precious logic once again. They both very stubbornly argue their points. (Stubbornness is one of the few things they do have in common.)

It is a constant tug of war. All these things, all these differences, makes Kazuha wonder sometimes. She wonders how she is seen in Heiji's eyes. Not so much in a romantic way, (though sometimes she wonders that too.) She wonders how much value their friendship holds to Heiji. Kazuha wonders, most of all, how she measures up in Heiji's opinion. If it were possible to be graded for such a thing, how would she fare against all of the other important things in Heiji's life?

Kazuha knows that she and Heiji are best friends. She knows too, from past experiences, that he cares about her. But compared to his precious detective work, she is unsure where she stands. She would hope that she is more important, but Kazuha just isn't sure.

**A/N: So? I kinda thought of this one as the flip side of 'Confiding.' It's Kazuha's turn out her feelings. Anyway, hope you enjoyed… I write for you! :) Till next Sunday! **


	8. H:Hat

**Letter:H**

**Theme:Hat**

"_**He wore that thing everywhere…"**_

He never took it off. Everywhere he went, his trademark hat followed. Well, not _literally,_ but you get the idea. Over time, it has become his identity, just a part of who he is. It's a signal to Kazuha, during a case she can always tell when Heiji's really into it, just by his turning the hat around. He's had it so long; it is hard to remember when or how he got it.

To know the truth of that, you have to go back 12 years, when Heiji and Kazuha were just 5 years old. Their friendship, even then, was not new; but they were developing certain new… _facets_ to their friendship. One of these being picking out gifts for each other, (for birthdays and such), instead of just leaving that to their parents.

So it came to be that one week before Hattori Heiji's 5th birthday, one Toyama Kazuha was trying to figure out what to get him. She tried to think of all his likes, (detectives…mystery novels….kendo…), but it was hard for her to think of a suitable present to match these hobbies. She really wanted to get something that he would like, as this was the first year she had picked the present out herself, she wanted to do a good job. She was hesitant to even ask her father for advice; she was determined to do this all on her own.

That afternoon, her father took her to the store to buy the present. Kazuha wondered the aisles for a bit, her father following, still just as undecided as she had been before. She passed by all sorts of "boyish things", (in her mind anyway), and none of them seemed to fit Heiji. Then, as she was walking through the sports section, something caught her eye. Her father noticed.

"You know…if I remember correctly, Heizo said that he was going to take Heiji to see a baseball game for his birthday." Her father commented.

"Really?" Kazuha was sure now. This would be the perfect present for Heiji.

One week later though, at the party, amid all the fun and games, cake and sweets; Kazuha was nervous. She was starting to second guess her gift choice. Especially when Heiji started opening all of his other presents, ones that seemed so much better than hers. But they were best friends right? That should count for something, no matter what she got him. She figured it was now or never. _Deep breath… _She walked over to Heiji, and held out her present.

"Here Heiji. Happy Birthday."

Heiji began eagerly tearing at the wrapping paper, and what he saw put the biggest smile on his face that Kazuha had seen all day.

"Wow! An Osaka baseball hat! My dad is taking me to a game tomorrow… this is perfect! You should come Kazuha, I know girls don't usually really like baseball, but it will be fun… and…" As he was talking, he placed the cap on his head, and looking back on it now, even then, Kazuha could see that look…that special look in his eye… every time he wore his favorite hat.

**A/N: Ok…please don't kill me! I am so sorry that this is two days late, I was sick this weekend and just starting to feel better. Also, please forgive me for how **_**terrible**_** this one is! (Gomen!) I was driving myself mad trying to think of a theme for 'H', and when I thought of 'hat', I thought, well of course! I felt so silly for not thinking of it sooner. But then it turned out **_**so much**_** harder than I imagined. And, in full disclosure, I have NO idea where Heiji got his infamous hat from. I don't think it's ever mentioned. But isn't it just the sweetest idea that it is so precious to him because Kazuha gave it to him? (*sigh*) Until Sunday, wonderful readers! **

**Oh yeah, one more thing… as MoonlitSky321 gave me the sweetest shoutout in her latest chapter, I return the favor. In my 9 years on this site, she seriously is in my top 5 of the best writers I have EVER read! She is also doing an alphabet story that you MUST check out! (All of her stories are top notch as well.) So please go read them! :)**


	9. I:Intangible

**Letter: I**

**Theme: Intangible **

"_**Maybe they were not meant to be after all…" **_

"_Be ready… I'll call again in a few days…"_

That had been Kudo, making the long-awaited phone call that we both had been waiting for. The opportunity that both of us, mostly him, had been earnestly seeking. All of the waiting, planning, heartbreak and heart-pounding fear, (again, all mostly on his part), seemed like it was finally going to pay off.

I have to admit, I was pretty ready. A little nervous, but ready. I've always been described as hot-tempered and impulsive, and that side of me for a long time has been itching for action. Wanting to finally make these guys pay for all they have done. So when Kudo had made that first call, it had taken everything in me not to hop on the first train to Tokyo. (Patience is not my strong suit.) Trying to pass the days while waiting for him to call back had not been an easy task. Another hard thing had been keeping all this from Kazuha. I've never really been the best at hiding my emotions, and history could testify that I am _horrible _at keeping secrets. She'd pestered me so much about it that we had _fought, _really fought, which is so rare for us. Of course we have bickered and teased and argued, many times daily in fact, but never fought. Never enough that we would not speak to each other, as was happening now.

Although, as Heiji thought about it, maybe that was for the best. Who knows how long it could take to finish things with the Organization? Or… Heiji was certainly not as pessimistic as Kudo was, but he also had to be pragmatic about the situation. They were neck deep in some serious, dangerous business. It would be unrealistic to at least entertain to the possibility that they would not come back from this. Of course, that aside, that outcome was just _not_ one that Hattori Heiji would accept. He had promised Kudo long ago that he would help him in this no matter what, and that they _would_ take them down.

The more Heiji thought about it though, the more he realized he needed to talk to Kazuha. Not tell her _everything_ of course, just make sure that things were ok between them. Carrying this out though, was turning out to be more of a problem than he thought. Kazuha could be incredibly stubborn when she wanted to be, and was avoiding him. He'd tried walking with her to school, but she'd already left by the time he got there and she had to be going a different route because he never ran into her. At school she would jump up as soon as the bell rang between classes and rush out of the room; same for the end of the day. And at lunch she would disappear Heiji didn't know where the entire time. After two days of this cat and mouse game, Heiji had had enough.

That night, Heiji headed over to Kazuha's house, determined to talk everything out. He still wasn't sure exactly what he was going to say. He was dreading it with every step, but he knew it needed to be done. As Kazuha's house approached, he still had no idea what he would say. Right before he got to the front steps though, Heiji's phone rang. Heiji grew frustrated as he saw who it was that was calling him.

"_Really…now?" _

"_Yes." _

The next morning, when Kazuha left her house for school, she missed it. She didn't find it until she had returned home from school hours later after not seeing Heiji there and worrying, despite their fight. She was so sick of it all, and couldn't even remember what it is they fought over. She just wanted things to be back to normal. Unfortunately, the tiny note that had eluded her eyes that morning sitting on a small table they kept by the front door, signaled the start of anything but normal; though she didn't know so at the time. The note itself shared nothing of the roller coaster of emotions Kazuha would go through in the coming months. The note only contained three little words.

"_I'm sorry, Kazuha."_

_**A/N: Yep,I know…I know. I deserve to be lynched. (Sorry!) And if you didn't get the ending, that was Shinichi calling for Heiji to come and help him with the BO. This chapter is actually part of a series in this story. Unfortunately because of the letters of the themes I'm writing it out of order, but once you read them all, hopefully it will make sense. But they can also read separately and make sense. (Again, I hope) Anyway, the order that they go is 'I','Y','D', and 'X'. **_

_**Till next time! **_


	10. J:June

**Letter: J**

**Theme: June**

"_**The summer heat does strange things to people…" **_

_***I do not own Detective Conan…**_

The air was thick, and sticky, as the sun beat down mercilessly. Kazuha had forgotten how hot summers could be in Osaka. She would have definitely preferred to come at a time when the temperature was a little milder, but the Tenjin Matsuri _had _always been her favorite festival, what with the fireworks and all.

It had been so long since she had been in Japan too….five years. She had taken a cab from the airport, her father had no idea she was even coming. As the cab drove through the streets, she could see much had changed. Some of her, no _their, _favorite restaurants had closed, new stores had been opened, an apartment complex had been built just a few streets over from her house. Life had most certainly gone on here. She could also see people bustling about, even in the oppressive heat, excitedly making their way to some of the festivals events. Kazuha couldn't wait to join in herself, even though since she had landed she could feel the weight on her chest again; the memories rushing back.

As the cab pulled up to her house though, momentarily, she was able to push these thoughts out of her mind. Walking into her childhood home, (thank goodness she still had her key!), she felt a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time. The house was empty of course; it was the middle of the day. Kazuha had expected this; she knew her father would be working at this time. She could have gone to the police station to surprise him, but many reasons held her back.

"_Five years…" _Kazuha thought with a sigh. Had it really been that long? Five years ago she had been ready to graduate high school. So had he. Kazuha had spent many nights awake wondering what would happen to the both of them, to their friendship, when they did graduate. She could have asked but wasn't sure how to bring it up. She'd been offered an amazing opportunity to study in America, and instantly wondered how _he _would react. In the end, she'd taken it anyway. How long did he really expect her to keep waiting? Heiji had never made one effort to show that he cared for her as more than a friend, and why should he? So one night, a few days before graduation, she had told him about her plans. They had been just hanging out at her house watching television, as they had done many times in those carefree days. His reaction at her news had been just as she expected. He'd seemed surprised at first, which had given her hope, but then said that he only was surprised that an aho like her had gotten such an opportunity. She had yelled, he had laughed, and the matter was dropped. Just like that.

The last time she had seen Heiji had been at the airport the day she left. There were no tears, no last minute confessions. Well, no tears on her or Heiji's part anyway. Kazuha had acted like she hadn't seen, but there were definitely tears in the corner of her father's eye as she left. Kazuha and Heiji had hugged once, promised to write, and that had been it. The promise to write had obviously been more than Heiji could do, because she hadn't heard from him once. (Of course, she had never written either.) The only things she knew about Heiji had been from her father's letters and phone calls. He had gone to university in Tokyo, apparently Kudo had returned and Heiji had wanted to go to university with him, and had joined the police force upon graduation. That was all she knew, and enough to keep her from going to the station to surprise her father upon her return home.

Pushing thoughts from her mind once again, Kazuha grabbed her suitcases and took them upstairs. She dropped them off in her bedroom, plans made in her head for the afternoon. She was trying to keep away the nostalgia from being back in her childhood home and set off to the kitchen.

45 minutes later, Kazuha was glad she had decided to come home. It would seem that her father hadn't been cooking very much in her absence, not that she was surprised. Still, she had been able to dig up enough ingredients for a decent meal. Kazuha herself was not the best cook in the world, but given it had been only her and her father for a very long time, she had had to learn. She was only hoping that she was not cooking all this in vain. Kazuha knew that her father worked long hours and doubted that had changed, even during a festival. In fact, the police were most likely even more on alert; what with the increased people in town for the festivities and the likelihood that someone, somewhere, would either get into trouble or make it themselves.

"_Oh well…at the very least he can heat it up later…" _Kazuha thought, as she finished up the plate of food she had fixed for herself. After she had finished cleaning up the kitchen, Kazuha went upstairs to take a much needed shower and get ready to head out.

By the time Kazuha left her house, a little under an hour later, the crowds on the streets were starting to thin which told Kazuha that most everyone was already down by the river for the main portion of the evening festivities; the boat procession and fireworks display. Kazuha would have to hurry to get a good spot to view it all. By the time she reached the river, the sun was starting to set, and just as she had predicted; it was packed. Kazuha began walking up and down the riverbank, not only looking for a good spot to observe the festivities, but also drinking in the sights and sounds of her hometown; which she had greatly missed. America was wonderful and new and exciting, but there certainly was no place like home.

Kazuha had to walk a little ways before she saw a small clearing in the crowds which would allow her a clear view of the river. It was also a perfect viewing spot for the fireworks, Kazuha knew, because she had sat in this exact spot before during the festival. Her heart tugged a little at the thought as she sat down on the blanket she had brought with her. Night had fallen now and the river was beginning to glow with the lanterns that were illuminating the boats they were riding on. It truly was a magical sight, and no matter how many times Kazuha had seen it; it still captivated her every time. So engrossed was she in the display that she did not notice someone walking up behind her.

"Excuse me, but this is my spot…."

Kazuha froze. There was no way… but turning around confirmed her suspicions. "Heiji?..."

"Kazuha?" He seemed equally shocked. "When did you get back?"

For a moment, Kazuha was stunned speechless, and she could only gawk. Heiji, for the most part, looked exactly the same, just a little more mature. She also spared a thought that she was not, definitely not, prepared to see him so soon upon returning home. Heiji's laugh snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What's wrong Kazuha? I know that I have become much more handsome since you last saw me but restrain yourself!" Heiji laughed again and even though Kazuha was frustrated with his words, his laughter sounded like music long forgotten and then found again. But she couldn't let that show.

"Aho! I see some things never change… you are still way too full of yourself… -hey what are you doing!" Kazuha exclaimed as Heiji proceeded to sit down next to her on her blanket.

"Aho, what does it look like? I told you I was in this spot first!" Kazuha sighed. Some things really didn't change. It almost seemed like they were in high school again, bickering back and forth like they didn't have a care in the world. But this wasn't high school. Time had passed and though their relationship had not changed, she had.

"Fine, sit here. Just don't get my blanket dirty."

Heiji laughed. "Well, you sure haven't changed… and you never did answer my question."

"What question was that?" Kazuha was desperately trying to act normal, like her heart was not going a mile a minute sitting here like this.

"When did you get back?"

"Just today. I haven't even seen my father yet."

"Are you back for good?" Kazuha had been looking out at the river for a moment, but snapped back to attention at the tone in Heiji's voice. It was so serious, so un-Heiji-like. It threw her off for a moment.

"Umm…I don't, I don't know yet." She stuttered after a moment. "So, what have you been up to, are you a world famous tantei yet?" _Changing the subject…changing the subject was good._

"Heh, not quite… I am working for the police force though. Well, officially now, I suppose." Heiji paused. "Kazuha…" Her breath caught at the look in his eye. "I just, well… I have been wondering… back then, why did you leave?" I mean, I know you went there to study, but why so far away?"

Kazuha was unsure what to say. How honest to be…? "Well, I just… wanted to try something new. Something different. And…" Kazuha took a deep breath, "I had no reason to stay here."

"No reason to stay? What do you mean?" Heiji seemed frustrated and despite all her effort so far, her own emotions were bubbling up as well.

"What do I mean? I mean that for 18 years we had grown up together, shared everything, and knew everything about each other. And yet you still could not see it! You claim to be such a great detective and yet you could never see how much I cared about you, though it was right in front of your eyes!" Kazuha had been almost shouting, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She went on in a much softer tone. "You want to know why I left? I was tired. Tired of waiting for something that did not exist."

This time it was Heiji's turn to look stunned. Several moments passed in silence, Heiji sitting there speechless and Kazuha looking down at her hands.

"You really think I didn't care?" Kazuha looked up as Heiji went on. "Aho… of course I have always cared! You are right; I was not able to see it back then. But since you have been gone, I have realized what I had all along." Heiji reaches out and grabs one of Kazuha's hands in his own, and stares straight into her eyes. "I love you Kazuha, and I'm sorry I never told you sooner."

Kazuha wanted to pinch herself. Was she dreaming? Or had the summer heat gotten to him and made him crazy? She could not believe that she was sitting here and the words that she had wanted to hear for so long were coming out of Heiji's mouth. Maybe the summer heat was getting to her too, because she was no longer nervous. In fact…

Kazuha was no longer thinking; she leaned forward on her knees until… The moment their lips connected was like nothing Kazuha could have imagined. It was short and slightly awkward, but more than anything she had ever dreamed that it would be. As they parted, a whistling sound made them both jump. Looking up they saw bright bursts of color as the firework show had begun. Kazuha smiled and turned her body slightly to settle into Heiji's arms; his own body arranging to accompany her. They stayed that way for quite some time, even after the show had ended and the people had gone; talking and catching up, unwilling to let the night end, or let the warm summer night's power fade.

_**A/N: I have to say, I loved this one. Hope you enjoyed it as well! And for those who don't know, the 'Tenjin Matsuri' is a real festival in Osaka that is held every year on July 24**__**th**__** and 25**__**th**__**. I skipped a lot of parts of the festival, but there is a lot that goes on, and it has definitely gone on my bucket list of things to see if I ever go to Japan! :) **_

_**Till next time! **_


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